No More Robocalls

Starting on September 1, 2009 the Federal Trade Commission has decided to make automated marketing robocalls illegal.  Telemarketers that violate this policy may face penalties up to $16,000 per call.

So which robocalls will still be permitted.  The Federal Trade Commission will allow the following.

“The rule amendments going into effect on September 1 do not prohibit calls that deliver purely “informational” recorded messages – those that notify recipients, for example, that their flight has been cancelled, an appliance they ordered will be delivered at a certain time, or that their child’s school opening is delayed. Such calls are not covered by the TSR, as long as they do not attempt to interest consumers in the sale of any goods or services. For the same reason, the rule amendments also do not apply to calls concerning collection of debts where the calls do not seek to promote the sale of any goods or services.”

“In addition, calls not covered by the TSR – including those from politicians, banks, telephone carriers, and most charitable organizations – are not covered by the new prohibition. The new prohibition on prerecorded messages does not apply to certain healthcare messages. The new rule prohibits telemarketing robocalls to consumers whether or not they previously have done business with the seller.”

I know ever one is glad that we can still receive automated calls from our politicians. [Federal Trade Commission]

Sirius XM SkyDock for Your iPhone

Those of you that want to convert your iPhone into a satellite radio will be able to do that soon.    Once you install the free SkyDock control app, which then transforms the iPhone/iPod Touch into a touch-screen control for the satellite radio service.  The Sirius XM SkyDock plugs into your car’s DC jack, which charges the iPhone/iPod Touch during use.  You will need a Sirius XM subscription.  The XM SkyDock will be available this fall for $120.
[AllThingsD]

SIRIUS XM RADIO INTRODUCES THE FIRST DEVICE TO RECEIVE LIVE SATELLITE RADIO CONTROLLED BY THE iPOD TOUCH AND iPHONE

XM SkyDock™ allows customers to enjoy live XM and “The Best of SIRIUS” in their vehicles using the iPod touch or iPhone

NEW YORK–August 26, 2009–SIRIUS XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) today introduced XM SkyDock, the first satellite radio controlled by an iPod touch or iPhone. The XM SkyDock is also one of the first products to take advantage of the new hardware control capabilities of iPhone OS 3.0.

Designed for easy use through the existing vehicle audio system, SkyDock has a built-in XM tuner controlled by a free App that users download from the App Store. The App allows control of the XM tuner using the capabilities of the iPod touch or iPhone Multi-Touch user interface. SkyDock will also charge iPod touch and iPhone devices while listening to live satellite radio.

“XM SkyDock will allow millions of users to add live SIRIUS XM Radio capability to their iPod touch or iPhone while in their vehicle,” said Bob Law, Group Vice President and General Manager, After Market Division, SIRIUS XM Radio. “XM SkyDock makes their favorite programming from XM and ‘The Best of SIRIUS’ available to iPod touch and iPhone users anywhere they drive, coast to coast.”

Listeners can use their iPod touch and iPhone to listen to all their favorite sports, talk, news, entertainment and commercial-free music programming, including Oprah Radio, MLB Home Plate, the PGA TOUR Network, Opie & Anthony, Bob Edwards, Jamie Foxx and Blue Collar Comedy. For the first time, subscribers can also listen to the complete “Best of SIRIUS” package, including Howard Stern and his two 24/7 channels, Martha Stewart Living Radio, SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, sports play-by-play and the Playboy Radio channel, all controlled by the iPod touch and iPhone.

Listeners can also tag songs they hear on XM’s music channels for later purchase from the iTunes Store–including songs on XM’s 24/7 artist branded commercial-free channels such as Jimmy Buffett’s Radio Margaritaville, Elvis Radio, Eminem’s Shade 45, The Grateful Dead Channel, B.B. King’s Bluesville, Willie Nelson’s Willie’s Place, Siriusly Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Radio. Other features include game alerts and sports ticker, artist and song alerts as well as a stock ticker.

The XM SkyDock is a perfect companion to the SIRIUS XM Premium Online App, which allows subscribers to receive SIRIUS XM’s Premium Internet service on their iPhone and iPod touch when they are out of the vehicle and on-the-go, at home, or at the office.

XM SkyDock comes with SIRIUS XM’s patent-pending PowerConnect™ technology, which simplifies Do-It-Yourself vehicle installation, working through the existing vehicle radio and making it easy to move from vehicle to vehicle. An Aux In Cable is a standard in-box accessory to facilitate Aux In connections in vehicles with Aux In capability. SkyDock’s flexible stalk optimizes the iPod touch or iPhone placement in the vehicle. Customers can view the touch-screen interface in portrait or landscape modes. Accessories include Magnetic Mount Antenna and spacers to accommodate the various iPod touch and iPhone product generations.

XM SkyDock is compatible with iPod touch (1st generation), iPod touch (2nd generation), iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. All models require iPhone OS 3.0 or later.

XM SkyDock will be sold in stores and will also be available at http://www.shop.xmradio.com with an MSRP $119.99 in fall 2009. The XM SkyDock App will be available at the same time.

This device has been granted preliminary approval by the Federal Communications Commission but is still undergoing evaluation by the Commission.

For more information on XM, please visit http://www.xmradio.com.

Apple sells 25% of music in America

The NPD Group latest market research shows that one in four songs purchased in America is sold on iTunes.  Compared to Wal-Mart (including Walmart, Walmart.com, Walmart Music Downloads) which sold 14 percent of music in America.  Best Buy came in third.  Something else that is interesting.  iTunes sold 69 percent of all digital music sold in America, with Amazon ranking second at 8 percent.

“The growth of legal digital music downloads, and Apple’s success in holding that market, has increased iTunes’s overall strength in the retail music category,” said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for The NPD Group. “But the importance of the big box retailers shouldn’t be dismissed, as long as the majority of music consumers continue to buy CDs.”

It is still hard to believe that the CD still dominates the way music is delivered.

[NPD Group]

Official Wikipedia iPhone Application

Wikipedia released their own iPhone application today called Wikipedia Mobile.

The application is free and very easy to use.  Currently the application only has a few features.  The application is open source and Wikipedia is willing to let anyone contribute.

Wikipedia application is available for iPhone and iPod Touch.

[iTunes]

Heathrow Driverless Taxi

Heathrow Airport’s is going to have 18 personal rapid transport (PRT) vehicles.  The driver-less taxis will move passengers around Heathrow Airport.

“The four-passenger personal rapid transport (PRT) vehicles, unveiled this week at the Science Museum in London, take airport-goers on a special narrow road from Heathrow’s Terminal 5 to various parking lots. Passengers use a touch screen to type in their destination, press a start button, and the battery-powered vehicle zips along at 25 mph to their destination. There’s a reason the pods look so futuristic–they were designed by Mark Lowson, who worked on the Saturn Rocket that launched Apollo missions.”

[Fast Company]

First Wireless Connected Pacemaker

Carol Kasyjanski is certainly connected.  She is the first person in the United States to be implanted with a wireless pacemaker.  The wireless pacemaker sends information to a wireless home monitoring system that transmits information to her doctor.

According to Dr. Steven Greenberg – director of St. Francis Arrhythmia and Pacemaker Center:

“If there is anything abnormal, and we have a very intricate system set up, it will literally call the physician responsible at two in the morning if need be. It is a tremendous convenience for the patient from even interacting with a telephone to call the doctor. On a larger scale it enhances our ability to pick up and evaluate any problems with their pacemaker and certain other rhythm disorders that could be potentially dangerous or life threatening in ways we really could not do before.”

St. Jude Medical Inc., received FDA approval in July 2009.

[St. Jude Medical Inc.] [PCMAG]

Google Voice on the iPhone?

Google is developing an iPhone web app version of Google Voice.  In doing this Google can bypass the Apple approval process.  Last month Apple rejected Google’s official Google Voice application.

According to New York Times:

“Google says it is readying a replacement for the Google Voice app that will offer exactly the same features as the rejected app—except that it will take the form of a specialized, iPhone-shaped Web page. For all intents and purposes, it will behave exactly the same as the app would have; you can even install it as an icon on your Home screen.”

Currently the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is investigating Apple’s rejection of Google Voice App from the App Store.  The Google Voice App is available for the Android and BlackBerry phones.

[The New York Times]

Nissan's Leaf

Introducing Nissan’s all-electric “Leaf”. It has 5 seats, can go 90 mph, and has a range of 100 miles. It can recharge in 30 minutes and will cost less than $30,000. Scheduled to be be released by the end of 2010.

Google Acquires On2 Technologies

Technologies, Inc. and Google entered into an agreement in which Google will acquire ON2.  The total value is around $106.5 million.

“Today video is an essential part of the web experience, and we believe high-quality video compression technology should be a part of the web platform,” said Sundar Pichai, Vice President, Product Management, Google. “We are committed to innovation in video quality on the web, and we believe that On2’s team and technology will help us further that goal.”

Google will most likely use this technology with YouTube.  [On2 Technologies]

Toyota's Humanoid Robot

Toyota’s recent prototype humanoid robot is able to run an average speed of 7 km/h.  The robot is able to remain balanced if pushed when in motion.

Check out the video below to see the robot in action.